


New York, New York

by IcyJadeXOXO, Section Eight Entertainment (IcyJadeXOXO)



Series: The Hunter Chronicles [8]
Category: White Collar
Genre: AU, Backstory, Gen, Non-Canon Relationship, Original Character(s), Other, Out of Character, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-18
Updated: 2011-01-18
Packaged: 2017-10-29 15:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/321582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/IcyJadeXOXO, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/Section%20Eight%20Entertainment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal Caffrey seems to have this habit of endangering the lives of the people he cares about the most. Takes place before "Burke's Seven".</p>
            </blockquote>





	New York, New York

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes : Follows events from "New York", "The Goodbye Girl" and "Point Blank". Just my take on why Alex was NOT a part of "Burke's Seven". Keep in mind that I haven't seen the episode. Let's just say that for this story's sake, this is the way it happened.
> 
> Disclaimer : I don't own any of the recognizable characters. They belong to Jeff Eastin, White Collar writers and USA Network.

**  
**

* * *

Alex Hunter sat there in one of the rooms at  **Bellevue Hospital Centre**  in  **New York City** , as she thought back on the events that had happened within the past few weeks.

She had been on assignment with Jack in Italy. The mission was to retrieve an item that Alex had stolen in the past. Or so it seemed. It was already too late before Jack and Alex realized that it was trap set for Alex by the people who wanted her dead.

Soon, they found themselves trapped in a hail of gunfire. Bullets coming from all directions, as they tried their best to fight back. Jack had managed to hit a few of the mercenaries, all the while making sure that Alex was covered. Alex ran out of bullets and tried to find more ammunition, not realizing she had broken cover. Jack flung himself into Alex, his body covering hers. It all happened so fast. Next thing she knew, she was cradling Jack's blood soaked body in her arms.

Alex had spent the next several days at the hospital, keeping vigil by Jack's bedside. One of the bullets was lodged in his collar bone. It was touch-and-go for a while, but Jack pulled through. Alex couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened to Jack. What she feared had finally happened. Someone she cared about had gotten hurt because of her.

Once she was sure that Jack was going to be fine, she maintained her distance. She wasn't really sure what to do next. She can't go home just yet, it will endanger her son. She can't stay with Jack without endangering him. She made a decision to come back to New York City. If she was going to be a target, it would be better if she were on familiar ground. So she made arrangements under an assumed name and booked a flight to New York. She didn't even said goodbye to Jack, knowing he would do his best to make her stay.

But Jack Hartnell is a very persistent man. The Scottish agent, still wearing a sling, had managed to beat Alex to the airport to try and stop her from leaving.

 _"You didn't say goodbye this time."_  Jack said.

 _"Well, 'Goodbye' doesn't seem to work for you, Jack!"_  Alex replied.

 _"I can't protect you if you keep running away, Alex!"_  Jack said, quite angrily.

 _"I don't want you to protect me! Look what happened to you! What were you thinking, risking your life like that? Fighting for a woman you barely even know! You're crazy!"_  Alex snarled.

 _"Alexandra Hunter, believe me when I tell you this. You are a woman worth fighting for!"_  Jack yelled back.

He moved closer to Alex and looked into her eyes.  _"And I love you! Why won't you let me?"_  he whispered.

Tears filled Alex's eyes, which she quickly wiped away.  _"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! You should have listened to me that night we first met. Jack, forget you ever met me!"_  she said emotionally.

So the ' **Goodbye Girl** ' bade farewell to her ' **Secret Agent Man** ' and left for New York City.

* * *

When Alex got to New York, she made sure that no one knew. She kept it a secret from everyone, even from Hale and his family. She didn't want to endanger any more peoples' lives. She went back to fencing old items she had stolen before, like the precious silver pieces from the  **Almiranta**  shipwreck. It was beneath her and she knew that, but at that point she didn't have the luxury to be creative. She was running out of resources and she needed the money to disappear.

 _"If you're going to be a target, might as well be a moving one!"_  a wise man once told her.

She didn't know how he had managed to do it, but  **Neal Caffrey**  caught wind of her Almiranta scheme. They made a deal. She steals the music box, again, only this time, from the female FBI agent's safe. She gives it back to the  **Russian Museum**. In return, she would finally have the target off her back. Sounded easy enough.

So she did everything according to plan. And it worked like a charm. Last time Alex talked to Neal back in his apartment, he assured her that she was free from the people who had wanted her dead. She breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she can go home. She was so happy, she even gave Neal her number, figuring it was about time she told him about Nicholas.

That was supposed to be the end of it. It wouldn't be long before Mozzie cracked the code, and they would finally catch Kate's killer. Then everyone would be safe.

 _WRONG!_  she said to herself. If that were true, then what is she doing at the hospital, watching another person close to her recover from injuries.

Alex got a message from  **Lenore**  saying Hale was in the hospital. As it turned out, Hale was the reason Neal found her. Neal had met with Hale, inquiring about Alex's recent whereabouts. The day after meeting with Neal, Hale's boxing center was burned down, with Hale trapped inside. Good thing one of the trainers went back for him inside to drag him out. Hale suffered from smoke inhalation as well as concussion when one of the beams hit him in the head and knocked him out.

Alex was angry. There was a reason why she didn't contact Hale when she got back in the city. She didn't want him involved in any of the music box mess.

 _How dare Neal involve him!_ Alex thought.

It was just Alex in the room with Hale,  **Lance**  took  **Iola**  home to get some rest. Lenora was working her shift and promised to stop by later to check up on her father. As if reading what was in Alex's mind, Hale slightly sat up from his bed and spoke.

 _"You know, he only wanted to warn to about the NYPD closing in on you."_  he said, defending Neal.

 _"Yeah, that and he wanted me to steal the music box again!"_ Alex replied, with anger still in her voice.  _"Why did you have to go meet him, Hale?"_  Alex continued. " _I warned you that hanging around Neal Caffrey these days could prove hazardous to your health!"_  she said.

 _"Oh, don't worry about me dear! It wasn't that serious! The doctor already said that I could check out of here tomorrow!"_  Hale assured her.  _"It's sad about the gym though. The kids we help train won't have anywhere to go now."_  Hale told her.

 _"Don't worry about that! I already hired a contractor to start rebuilding immediately. The gym would be up and running again in no time!"_  Alex promised him.

 _"You didn't have to do that!"_  Hale said.

 _"I wanted to! It was the least I could do since I dragged you into this mess!"_ Alex replied.

 _"That's not true. I wanted to help you, that's why I met with Neal. You didn't drag me into anything!"_  Hale informed her.

Just then, a nurse came in and said that she needed to check Hale's vitals. Alex stepped outside for a while to get some air and some coffee.

* * *

Alex went to get some coffee from the vending machine when she saw a familiar face. It was Neal. He seemed like in such a state of shock. He didn't notice Alex until she was in front of him.

 _"Alex, hi! Look he's still in ICU. Last time I heard, they were keeping him under an induced coma to keep him stable."_  Neal said.

 _"Wait, who are you talking about, Neal?"_  Alex asked, getting real concerned.

 _"Mozzie! Isn't that why you're here?"_  Neal said, confused.

 _"No, I'm here for Hale! He's in recovery right now. What happened to Mozzie?"_  Alex asked preparing herself for the worst.

 _"Mozzie cracked the code from the music box, only someone shot him before he got around to telling anyone!"_  Neal explained.

 _"Oh my God!"_ was all Alex could say.

 _"Wait, what did you mean you were visiting Hale?"_  Neal asked her.

All her anger for Neal earlier were replaced with concern.  _"Neal, Hale's gym was burned down the day after he had that rooftop meeting with you! He was trapped inside! Look, whoever is behind all this, he's not done until he gets what he wants! And he doesn't care who gets hurt along the way!"_  Alex warned him.

Neal took a deep breath.  _"Alex, I'm so sorry for everything!-"_  Neal tried to apologize, but Alex stopped him.

 _"Just promise me you'll get this guy, Neal!"_  Alex said, before she went to ICU to see Mozzie.

* * *

The next day, Alex was at Mozzie's bedside, waiting for him to wake up. Lance and Iola already took Hale home earlier that day, and Hale said that he didn't mind if Alex stayed behind to watch over Mozzie. The FBI agents watching the door opened it and let Neal inside. Only two people at a time were allowed to visit Mozzie in the ICU so Peter chose to remain outside.

 _"You really should go home, Alex. There's really nothing we could do for him now."_  Neal told her.

 _"No, I'm staying. I don't want him to wake up alone. You have no idea how scary it is to wake u_ _p in a hospital room all alone when you're in great deal of pain."_  Alex said.

There was a pause.  _"You're talking about_ _ **Copenhagen**_ _. I thought I've apologized to you about that! I thought you understood!"_ Neal said.

 _"Neal, now is NOT the right time for us to talk about Copenhagen, alright? Aren't you suppose to be busy trying to catch the bastard responsible for this? Why don't you go? I'll stay here with Mozzie. I'll call you if anything happens!"_  Alex said, her annoyance escalating to anger.

Neal left the room just to avoid fighting with her.

Alex peeked outside the door to see what Neal was doing. He and Peter were talking to one of Mozzie's doctors, possibly inquiring about Mozzie's condition. She went back to Mozzie's bedside and started talking to her fallen friend.

 _"Hey, Mozzie. Sorry you had to hear our little argument. Listen, I read on an article that said it helps patients who are in a coma to recover sooner if they had someone talking to them. So here goes nothing!"_ Alex said.

She began telling the comatose Mozzie her story, from what happened in Copenhagen and kept going until she told Mozzie about story when Nicholas was born. In some odd way, it felt good finally telling her old friend about her secret. Just then, alarms went off. The machines connected to Mozzie's body started beeping. He was flatlining. Alex hurried outside to tell one of the agents to get the doctor.

In mere seconds, doctors and nurses filled Mozzie's room as they worked on trying to revive him. Alex didn't know what to do. She thought about Neal. Maybe he was still at the hospital. She ran outside the room to try and find him, but there were no sign of him or Peter. Alex asked one of the nurses in she had seen the two. The nurse replied that they had just left the hospital less than five minutes ago.

 _With any luck, I can still catch them!_  Alex thought.

Alex ran out of the hospital to warn Neal about what was happening to Mozzie. She saw Neal getting inside Peter's car and tried to catch his attention.

 _"NEAL!"_ she yelled after him.

But Neal couldn't hear her. She watched as Peter's car drove away. Without warning, a black SUV sped up towards Alex's direction. Alex saw it and tried to get out of the way, but it was too late. The car hit her, it didn't even try to avoid her. Then it just drove away, leaving Alex lying motionless on the ground in front of the hospital.

* * *

 **DAYS LATER**...

Mozzie was in a precarious state for a while. They have managed to revive him, and he was now awake and talking.

 _"Neal, was Alex in here? I distinctly remember hearing her voice talking to me when I was in a coma. I can't, for the the life of me, remember what it was about though!"_  Mozzie said.

 _"Yeah, she was, Moz! You didn't see her? That's odd. She was so adamant in not leaving your side because she didn't want you to wake up alone."_  Neal explained.

 _"She was here by my side the whole time? I didn't see her when I opened my eyes. And she hasn't visited me since I woke up from my coma!"_  Mozzie said, with a worried tone.  _"Can you call her for me?"_  he continued.

 _"I tried calling her to apologize but she wasn't answering. See, we had a little argument a few days ago, it maybe a while before she takes one of my calls again! And then there's the whole Hale thing!"_ Neal said.

 _"What 'Hale thing'?"_  Mozzie asked him.

Neal told him about how Hale's gym suspiciously burned down after Neal and Moz met with him to get information about Alex. When Neal was done with story, Mozzie had a concerned look on his face.

 _"Neal, you need to take this guy down before he hurts anymore innocent people!"_  he said, with a furrowed brow.

 _"Don't worry, Moz! Peter and I have a plan to catch this guy! It won't be long now, I promise!"_  Neal reassured him.

 _"Well, whatever your plan is, do it soon!"_  Moz said in a weak but determined voice.

* * *

Once Neal had left, Mozzie asked one of the nurses about Alex.

 _"Did you see a woman in here with me while I was in a coma?"_  he asked.

 _"Yes, I did. Mr. Caffrey and Agent Burke said it was alright that she stayed and kept you company. Shame about what had happened to her though. She seemed to be such a nice girl"_  the nurse replied.

 _"What do you mean? What happened to her?"_  Mozzie asked the nurse.

 _"You mean you didn't know? She was a victim of a hit-and-run! An SUV ran her over, right outside of this hospital! I'm sorry but I thought you were notified already!"_  the nurse told him.

 _"No, that's okay! Maybe they haven't gotten around to telling me yet, you know, since I'm still recuperating. Please, tell me more! I'll be fine, I swear!"_  Mozzie promised the nurse.

 _"Well, there's really not much to tell. She was ran over by an SUV. We notified her next of kin, who we assumed had notified the authorities about the incident. She suffered from a grade three concussion, a fractured clavicle, and two broken ribs. She had been in and out of consciousness the whole time, mumbling incoherently, asking for someone named '_ _ **Nicholas'.**_ _"_  the nurse informed him.

 _Nicholas? As in Halden?_  Mozzie thought Alex was asking for Neal.  _"What room is she in?"_  he asked out loud.

 _"I'm sorry, but she's gone!"_  the nurse replied. Panic came over Mozzie.

 _"What? When did she die?"_  he asked, instantly panicking.

 _"No, no! What I meant to say was she was checked out of the hospital yesterday morning."_  the nurse answered.

Mozzie breathed a sigh of relief.  _"Wait, you said she WAS checked out of this hospital? By who?"_ he asked again.

 _"By her sister. Your friend was discharged against medical advice, but her sister assured us that they were just moving her to a hospital closer to home."_  the nurse replied.

 _Her sister? Alex doesn't have a sister!_  Mozzie thought, starting to get worried again. There's something going on and he didn't like it. He thanked the nurse for all the information before she left.

* * *

After the nurse left, Mozzie tried to reach for the phone to try and call Neal. He needed to know what happened to Alex. Just then, a there was a knock at the door. It was Hale. Mozzie told the agents guarding him it was okay to let the man in.

 _"Mozzie, heard about what happened. Glad to see you're okay!"_  Hale said.

 _"Heard about what happened to you too! I'm very sorry-"_ Mozzie tried to continue but Hale stopped him.

 _"Save it, I already heard the same spiel from Alex! It's alright!"_  Hale assured him.

 _"Hale, about Alex. I've heard some things. With you being the closest to her, I wonder if you can tell me anything?"_  Mozzie asked.

 _"I assume that you heard about her 'accident'? We're trying to keep it hush hush. But don't worry, she's in safe hands!"_  Hale assured him again.

 _"I was told that she was checked out of here by her sister. Hale, you and I both know that Alex doesn't have a sister! What's going on Hale?"_  Mozzie inquired.

 _"The only thing you need to know is that Alex is being cared for by good people. You shouldn't worry, it's bad for your recent injury!"_  Hale replied.

 _"I have to tell Neal!'_  Mozzie stated.

 _"No, you don't! The last thing Alex would want you to do is tell Neal! So please promise me that you won't!"_  Hale requested.

Mozzie hesitated at first.  _"Alright, Hale! But only on one condition! You have Alex call me as soon as she's able to! Can you promise me that?"_  he asked. Hale nodded his agreement. He said his goodbye and left Mozzie's room.

* * *

Unbeknownst to anyone, it was Hale who was listed as Alex's next of kin. When the hospital called him about what had happened to Alex, he immediately notified Aretha. Aretha was the ' _sister_ ' who checked Alex out of the hospital. Now, they were on a private jet en route back to Budapest. Alex was stirring and starting to wake up. She saw a doctor and a nurse checking her vital. But somehow, she knew that she wasn't in a hospital. She moved her gaze to the woman standing next to her.

It was Aretha.  _"Hello there! Welcome back to the land of the living!"_  Aretha greeted her with a smile.

Behind her was Asher and Zeke, both with smiles on their faces as well. Alex managed to weakly smile back at them.

 _"Hey there. Where are we?"_  Alex asked.

 _"We're on a plane. We're taking you home! No excuses this time! Now that the target is officially off your back, you can go home and see your son again!"_ Aretha reassured her.

Alex didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She felt Aretha squeeze her hand. She smiled at her friends.

 _"We're on a private jet!"_  Alex said, more of a statement than a question.  _"You finally listened to me and got us a private jet!"_  she said to Aretha.

 _"Well, I couldn't really resist! After all, a good friend of ours got us this great deal!"_  Aretha said, as she stepped aside, revealing Jack.

 _"Hello, stranger!"_  Jack greeted her, his gorgeous smile from ear to ear.

Alex laughed weakly.  _"You don't give up easily, do you Jack?"_  Alex asked.

 _"Nope. No, I don't!"_  Jack replied  _"You didn't really expect me to let anything happen to my favourite fake fiancee, now did you?"_  Jack asked, moving closer to her. Then his face grew serious, as he ran his hand on her cheek.  _"Besides, I promised you I will get you back home to your son!"_  Jack whispered.

 _"And now, I'm going home! Just like you promised!"_  Alex said, tears filling her eyes.

 _"Thank you! Thanks, all of you!"_ she told her friends. The others could see she was starting to get tired.

 _"You look tired! It's alright! Go get some rest, sweetheart!"_  Aretha said.

 _"Yeah, we have a long boring flight ahead of us! You won't miss anything!"_  Asher said.

 _"Don't worry, my friend! We'll watch your back!"_  Zeke reassured her.

 _"And by the time you wake up, the first face you'll see will be that of your son's!"_ Jack assured her.

So Alex went back to sleep, knowing that she doesn't need to worry anymore.

* * *

~ **FINI** ~

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Footnotes :
> 
> *Time line clarification : First scene was a flashback of what happened in Italy. Alex was already in New York, just remembering what had happened over the past few weeks.
> 
> *Bellevue Hospital Center is the hospital where Hale's daughter Lenore works as a nurse. [New York]
> 
> *Lance is Hale's youngest son. Hale's oldest son, Luther, is a marine deployed in Afghanistan. [New York]
> 
> *Just a short story I wrote because I wasn't satisfied that Alex wasn't a part of Burke's Seven. It's implied that the one who ran Alex over was Julian Larssen.
> 
> ***Thanks for taking time to read this story! Hope you enjoyed it!***


End file.
